German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America

AmmoMike · Posted: 08/24/03, 11:00 pm Post subject: The Excitement grows strong

Well, we received a call from out breeder today.. Seems my pup has been to the vet and is ready to come home next weekend is when we are supposed to meet him (7 hour drive but cheaper than a plane ticket). So once again like a little kid at christmas my excitement grow for the day that I get to unrap my present......
_________________
Mike

Anne · Junior Joined: 08 Nov 2002 Posts: 66 Location: Minneapolis

I'm excited for you! This is one lucky pup. Be sure to keep us posted. Will it be a male or female? Will it still be Michael's Deja Vu?
_________________
"You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

AmmoMike · Posted: 08/25/03, 10:49 pm Post subject: The Excitement grows strong

She will be female and yes she will also be known as "Deja".. I giggled at the name the other day and told my wife it is very fitting for the troubles we have been through trying to get a new pup...

Mike
_________________
Mike

cheerio · Moderator Joined: 11 Mar 2003 Posts: 285 Location: Canada

Good luck to you. I just can't wait for you to bring her home and tell us all about her. You are right, this is so exciting! Be safe on the road.

maddog · Posted: 09/08/03, 6:34 pm Post subject:

How's your pup?

AmmoMike · Posted: 09/09/03, 3:34 am Post subject: The Excitement grows strong

A BIG FUN PAIN IN THE NECK..LOL

No really she is great, other than she is SOOOOO hyper. It is very hard to settle her down to try and train. Struggling at the moment with the puppy bitting when we pet her. It is not a mean bite but a play bite, but we still dont like it.

She is gaining ALOT of weight, and looking much better than the pic I had put on the site. I will be adding more pics soon so you guys can see.

Mike
_________________
Mike

cheerio · Moderator Joined: 11 Mar 2003 Posts: 285 Location: Canada

Often puppies that grab the hand or the pants of theoir owners get worse as time goes by. She is playing with you as she would with one of her littermate. It is now the time to let her know that you are the Alpha. To stop biting, there are 2 very easy methods:
1- Arm yourself of a spray bottle filled with water and one tablespoon of white vinaigre. Sit down, call her and pet her. As soon as she start biting spray her nose. Hunting dogs are very particular about their nose and will start snizing and will learn very fast that way.
2- Sit down, call her and pet her. As soon as she start biting, with the hand she is grabing, pinch her lip. Increase continously the pressure up until she lets go. She will stop grabbing your hands very fast.
Both of these methods gives a fast result, but if you favour the 1st method, because we don't go around with a spray bottle in our back pocket, the second method should be learnt as well.

As far as being hyper, this is not enusual at this age and people who work their dogs always look for that type of drive. This only means that she can do whatever you want her to do. Congratulations, it seems that you have a very good working dog. However, these high drive dogs are not always easy at the beginning, and there are trics to make things a little easier.
The most important one is Obedience, obedience, obedience.
This is not always easy to start when puppy is jumping and running about. So this is what you need to do:
1- Focus training: take a bate (I use "Roll Over" purchased at Petsmart). go to a closed room with her, stand in front of her, and start by giving her 3 small pieces. Then, let her nibble a little bit while you hold the bate in your hand. She now has discovered the sweet taste of the bate and is ready to start her training. With a piece of bate in your hand, put your hand on the floor and follow a little distance. What you want is for puppy to follow your hand. At the end of the exercise, give her the bate. When she understood the game, put 2 chairs about 1 1/2' feet apart. Try to guide your girl with a movement of your arm and a bate in your hand around the chairs, between the chairs... Little by little, guide her aroun the house, around the yard, around trees... As she follows your hand, she will be FOCUSSING on you. If she tends to jump on your hand at the beginning, teach her know. When she stops, tell her she is a good girl and give her the bate.
I have found that pups started that way make the best obedience dogs.

2- Tracking: Your girl is full of energy, so why not use it? Make her track. She can do it on the carpet (keeps very well the scent) or on grass. Remember that if a little humid, the scent will carry better.
Scrub your feet on the carpet or grass and walk a few feet while dragging your feet. Every steps, put a SMALL piece of batebehind you on the track line. Put your dog on the leashand a harness, hold her very close to the harness, and using your focus training, put your hand on the ground, tell her: "Track" and make your dog follow the track line to the first and second bate. Praise her each time she gets one. Remove your hand and tell her to track. She will go on along the track line on her own. Little by little, you will space the bate more and more uintil you put only one at the end. Keep her always on a straight line for the moment.

3- Massage: Every evening, give her a quite time. (I do that in front of the TV!). Put your dog sitted beside you and calmely and deeply pet your dog on the chest, from the neck down. After a few minutes, pet her gently on her face, and on her eyes. The massage should last 20 to 30 minutes every day. You will be amazed by the result.

Good luck and congratulation again for your wandeful "Big Fun Pain in the neck"!